Damian Lillard vs. Kel'el Ware Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Kel'el Ware and Damian Lillard, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season / Games against each other

Who had the better rookie season? Who had best stats in their 10th season? Who won a championship first? These questions and many others, are answered here.

Damian Lillard played 13 years in the NBA, 11 more than Kel'el Ware, who played 2. Damian Lillard had the first of his seasons in 2012-13, while Kel'el Ware had his rookie season in 2024-25. With that starting point, here you can take a look at each of their seasons side by side and compare how their careers evolved in achievements, awards and championships won, the stats they recorded both in the Regular Season and the Playoffs and how their teams performed in the postseason.

Their Careers

Player		 Total Seasons Playoffs Played NBA Years
Damian Lillard 13 10 2012-13 to 2024-25
Kel'el Ware 2 1 2024-25 to 2025-26

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2

Rookie Season
Damian Lillard Kel'el Ware
Season 2012-132024-25
Team Portland Trail BlazersMiami Heat
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
-Achievement All-Rookie Second Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayHeat Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Damian Lillard 82 38.6 19.0 0.5 2.6 3.1 6.5 0.9 0.2 3.0 2.1 6.7 15.7 .429 2.3 6.1 .368 3.3 3.9 .844
difference:+18+16.4+9.7+1.3+3.0+4.3+5.6+0.3+0.9-2.1-0.4+2.7+8.4+.125+1.8+4.4+.053+2.6+2.9+.157
Kel'el Ware 64 22.2 9.3 1.8 5.6 7.4 0.9 0.6 1.1 0.9 1.7 4.0 7.3 .554 0.5 1.7 .315 0.7 1.0 .687
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Damian Lillard DNP------ --- ----------
Kel'el Ware 4 18.3 4.8 1.0 3.8 4.8 1.0 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.8 2.0 4.5 .444 0.8 2.8 .273 0.0 0.0 -

Season 2
Damian Lillard Kel'el Ware
Season 2013-142025-26
Team Portland Trail BlazersMiami Heat
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Trail Blazers Lost West Conf SemisDid Not Play
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Damian Lillard 82 35.8 20.7 0.4 3.1 3.5 5.6 0.8 0.3 2.4 2.4 6.7 15.9 .424 2.7 6.8 .394 4.5 5.2 .871
difference:+61+11.4+8.9+2.8+4.3+7.1+5.1+0.2+1.0-1.4-0.4+2.1+7.1+.103+1.7+4.4+.006+2.9+3.2+.066
Kel'el Ware 21 24.4 11.8 3.2 7.4 10.6 0.5 1.0 1.3 1.0 2.0 4.6 8.8 .527 1.0 2.4 .400 1.6 2.0 .805
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Damian Lillard 11 42.4 22.9 1.1 4.0 5.1 6.5 1.0 0.1 2.7 2.6 7.5 17.2 .439 2.5 6.4 .386 5.4 6.0 .894
Kel'el Ware DNP------ --- ----------

Additional Years

* Damian Lillard played 11 seasons more than Kel'el Ware in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 3 to 13, from 2015 to 2025—Damian Lillard played in 9 Playoffs and one NBA Cup.

In those 11 extra years over Kel'el Ware, Damian Lillard got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 All-NBA First Team
Achievement 4 All-NBA Second Team
Achievement 1 All-NBA Third Team
Achievement 1 Cup All-Tournament Team
Achievement 8 All-Star Game
Achievement 1 All-Star Game MVP
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